William r



(No Model.)

W. R. PAYNE.

GUARD RAIL BRAGE.

No. 550,420. Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

ANnRiw E GRAHAM Pumaumo WASHINGTUILDC l UNITEDY STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM R. PAYNE, OF POCAHONTAS, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIE W. JETER, OF SAME PLACE.

GUARD-RAIL BRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,420, dated November 26, 1895. Application iled September 30,1895. Serial No. 564,183. (No model.)

To all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pocahontas, in the county of .Tazewell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Guard-Rail Brace, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to guard -rails, and particularly tothe braces therefor, it being my object to provide a rigid brace for the guard-rail used in connection with a sidingfrog, by means of which the guard-rail is secured from spreading.

My improved brace is to be placed one halfthereof on the inside of the middle portion of the guard-rail opposite the frog-point and the other half opposite thereto on the outside of the adjacent main rail or siding-rail, as the case may be, and the two halves are then firmly bolted together through and beneath the intervening rails. I

My invention consists in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my invention in operative adjustment. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig.l 3 is a vertical cross-section adjacent to the clampingblocks, and Fig. 4 is a similar View adjacent the bracing-legs.

Reference-numeral 1 designates the guard rail and 2 designates the line-rail in their ordinary adjustment adjacent to a switch. These are ordinarily spiked in position or the guard-rail is sometimes provided with lateral struts or braces on its inner side. In my construction a head-plateor bar 3, about fourteen inches long, is provided to rest in facial contact against the web of the rail and abut under the rail-head and on the ange. Accordingly, plate 3 is formed with a vertical inner side 4 and top 5 and bottom 6, slightly divergent from each other and extending obliquely from side 4. The outer side 7 slopes outwardly, so as to form a thickened support 6 substantially the width of the rail-fiange.

At either .end plate 3 is provided with a laterally-extendin g and outwardly-flared knee or strut brace 8. This knee 8 is substantially flush at its inner end with the upper edge of plate 3 and slopes downwardly toward its outer end, where it is flanged horizontally to provide the extended foot 9. Foot 9 is peripherally notched Aat 10 to receive the fasteningspikes. These notches are so arranged that when the brace is properly adjusted on the ties the spikes will be out of alignment with the grain of the Wood, so as not to split the ties. Intermediately of 'said knees 8 clamping-block 12 is provided, extending vertically along the middle of the outer face 7 of the head-plate and projecting therebelow to form a bolt-flange 13, suitably perforated to vre` ceive clamping-bolt 14. Said block is also provided in its upper portion with another perforation 15 for bolt 16 to enter in vertical alignment with bolt 14. This block conforms to the sloping sides 7 of plate 3 and is substantially rectangular in front elevation,with truncated corners 17, and has its outward face 18 sloped inwardly slightly fromv the top toward the lower end 13.

In use a brace-piece, as above described, is

near clamping-block, rail-webs, and farther clamping-block and secured by.".ut 19 on its threaded end. Square bolt-holes are formed I in the outer piece to receive the squared Shanks 2O of the bolt-heads, so as to prevent the same from turning. A filling-block 2 1, with converging ends 22 to fit snugly, is also provided between the clamping-flanges 13' and lies closely against the bottom of the rail and is suitably perforated. This is adjusted in place between said converging anges, and bolt 14 is threaded through said flanges and filling-block and secured by nut 23. Spikes are now driven through the various notches- 10 into the ties, and the entire brace-chair is thereby adjusted. l

Itis evident that the line-rail and guardrail must remain in their relative positions when my brace is used, for whatever lateral thrust is brought on the guard-rail by a wheel- IOO ange is distributed by means of the headplate to the knees, `which are of a stocky powerful shape, and through them to the ties, and also by said head-plate to the clampingblock, whose thick upper end bears the shock and conveys the same by means of bolt 16 to the opposite brace-piece and whose flanged lower end transmits the strain also to the opposite brace-piece by means of the fillingblock and bolt 14, so that the two rails are rigidly secured together and also rigidly braced in position on the ties.

'What I claim isl. A brace piece for a guard rail, consisting of a head plate adapted to rest against and be secured to the inner face of a guard rail and provided at either end with an outwardly flaring knee having a horizontally flanged foot notched on its edges to receive fastening spikes, and a block secured to said head plate midway between said knees and having a thicker upper portion and a thinner lower portion or flange perforated and extending below saidhead plate, substantially as described.

2. A guard rail brace consisting of two bolts and two brace pieces, each of said brace pieces comprising a' longitudinal head plate shaped to conform to the adjacent face of the rail and y provided at either end with an outwardly flaring knee having a horizontally flanged foot suitabl)T notched to receive fas-v teningspikes, and a clamping block arranged in the outer side of said head plate midway between said knees and extending vertically down below said head plate,.and horizontal perforations one through the middle of said head plate and block and one through Said extension, all arranged and combined, sub stanti-ally as described.

3. The combination with a line rail and a guard rail, of a brace piece arranged adjacent the inner side of said guard rail and having a head plate shaped to conform to the web and continuous portions of the head and flange of said rail, said head plate being provided at either end with an outwardly flaring knee adapted to be spiked to the tie provided midway between said knees with a vertical clamping block thick at its upper end and provided with a flange of less thickness extending below and underneath the rail and also A bottom, and a second and similar brace piece arranged adjacent the outer side of said line rail, a wedge shaped filling blockarranged to abut against the rail bottom and between the converging flanges of the clamping blocks, and two bolts, one passing through suitable perforations therefor in the clamping blocks, head plates and rails and the other passing through suitable perforations in the clamping block flanges and filling block whereby said rails are bolted together in their proper adjustment and laterally braced, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. PAYNE. \Vitnesses:

W. W. J Erna, JAS. A. PAINTER. 

